Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS IN CAMDEN!

Our family tradition is to spend Christmas in Camden with Mama. We had so much fun the whole week. The preparation is just as much fun as the as actual day of Christmas. Love all the baking, shopping, visiting and being with family! Every Christmas Eve we spend the evening at Grandma's with our extended family, hanging out and of course eating! Christmas morning Santa visited the kids at Mamaw's and we love to share in the excitement at her house. Around lunch time we head back to Grandma's to exchange gifts there. And we stay through the late evening enjoying family! We all had such a blessed Christmas, hope your family did as well!!!

Pajama Day!

It was the kids last day of school for this year and today was pajama day for Hannah's school! All the second graders wore their pj's and watched Polor Express!!! They also had a super fun sing-along that Mama and I joined in on! It was a funny and exciting program, we all had a ball!!! The kids are on Ma-Maw's hands for the weekend while Me and Daddy are ready to have a great weekend with each other...can you tell how excited I am??? Yipee!

Hannah's reading group had their read along play today in their classroom! It was so exciting for Hannah, she is really into the arts lately. Her absolute favorite thing to do these days is to write her own songs and sing them. Here is just a very short bit of the reading!

Congratulations To Uncle Steve!

Congrats to Uncle Steve for being nominated as Master of his Masonic Lodge in Cayce. Uncle Steve puts alot of time and care into being apart of his community and the brothers of his lodge rewarded him with this nomination. Chris, the kids and I enjoyed the ceremony of installation and dinner afterward! We are so proud for Uncle Steve and we love you very much!

GOING TO THE BALLET

TO SEE THE NUTCRACKER!


Brunson has been excited for over a week now about going to the Ballet. Well, I'm not too sure if he is excited about the actual Ballet or if he is excited about wearing his suit! He was even excited about his Bass loafer shoes...they are exactly like what his Popa always wore. Almost everyday he says, "Mama I just want to try on my handsome clothes". I think I have a little man who likes to be stylish!! So this morning once I got him all dressed, he just had to have a little of Daddy's smelly good spray and then he was asking for his picture to be taken. He said Maw-ma would really like to see me all dressed up! So cute I could just squeeze him to pieces!!!





HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISHA!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISHA!!! LOVE YOU!!!

Bye Bye Lucy

My sweet baby is in Doggie Heaven.

Lucy, my precious 12 year German Shepard passed today and I know there is no more suffering for her. As a tee tiny pup, my Daddy found her on the side of the road and brought her home to me. Lucy has been with me through all my adult life and it is so hard to imagine my life without her.
She has been going down hill for awhile now, but today she had a stroke. Hannah is having a real hard time, I'm not sure Brunson really understands...But I know by tonight or tomorrow he is going to be missing Lucy.
Thank you Mama for helping me today, I know your task were not easy. I love you very much.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!

The Shirley Family Thanksgiving lunch was great! Grandma was able to come home again this year from the nursing home and we were all blessed to spend another holiday with her! We had so much yummy foods and once again the family home was full - I think about twenty of us! It is always so fun to see all the cousins, aunts and uncles that we may not see on a regular basis. I am so thankful for so many things, especially to have Mama cancer free, Grandma home to enjoy the holiday and to have such a wonderful, loving family! All the little ones had a fantastic time playing with all their cousins, they really didn't want the day to end. Once the little ones were taken home, some of us "big kids" had a great time getting into the happy juice:)

A Fantastic Weekend!!!

Chris and I got to enjoy a wonderful weekend with each other! Aunt Beth and Uncle Steve asked for Hannah and Brunson to spend the weekend with them. The kids had a fun filled weekend and so did my hubby and me!!! We enjoyed quiet dinners together, we did a little shopping together, and we even went out dancing. I just loved every second of having Chris all to myself!

Rainy Day Blues

Today is just not the best day for me. Hopefully it is mostly contributed to the dreary weather out...but I just feel like a battle of mine is like a ski slope that I just don't seem to be conquering. On days like today it sure is hard not to have my Daddy around, he would know just the right thing to say. And I feel like a saying he used to always tease me about..."I'm as lost as a fart in the dark". I feel like I have the ability and for the most (haha) part I am a pretty nice person! That saying, "life isn't easy" is so true for me today. I am just chalking up this day to being done and I can't wait to wake up tomorrow a new and refreshed woman!!! Unfortunitly there is laundry to do, homework to help with, dinner to cook, baths to be done and the list goes on. Ohhhhh, what a pity party day!

My Man Has Really Changed!

AND I HAVE UNIFIRST TO THANK!


Create your own FACEinHOLE

Chris has been with Unifirst for almost two months and the changes in him are wonderful! The transition was difficult to say the least. Chris had a whole new industry to learn, new procedures and policies to follow, new coworkers to meet, clients to gain trust with, and the drive to be at the top! All of these changes created long and tiresome work hours.
I am so proud for him, he has accomplished so much in such a small amount of time. He finished his school and training in record time, he also started managing his accounts faster than any new employee at Unifirst. Chris has meet and succeeded his sales to gain him bonuses with new account and direct sales quotas! He is now excited about his career and is always researching ways to make him better while also he strives to be the best!!!

I VOTED AND I AM PROUD!

EVEN THOUGH MCCAIN WAS DEFEATED


After long and hard times of political views, adventures and debates our great nation has made history. Whether you are Republican or Democrat let's all come together as a nation and support the USA.
A friend of mine has already started to do his part in helping Obama's political policies. He visited a local cafe in his hometown yesterday. As he and his friend are served their lunch, he realizes what a great job their young waiter does. As my friend pays his tab, he tell the young man something to this effect... Young man, you did a fantastic job of waiting on my friend and myself. I just wanted to say thanks. The waiter of course replies, thank you. So then my friend states...I see you have an Obama sticker on your shirt, so you support Obama's economic policy of spreading the wealth? The waiter very proudly says, yes sir. My friend then comments, well that is great. I tell you what, since you did such a great job today, I feel you deserve a worthy tip. And since you support "spreading the wealth" I am going to take this tip that you earned & deserve and give it to the homeless man that is sitting outside your cafe. Stunned, the waiter stands there and watches my friend turn and walk out the cafe and give the unemployed man on the street the well deserved waiter's tip.
Sure I know this was harsh on a waiter, however think about the American that has worked hard all his life to be at a "financial taxable income". Just because he worked long and hard for probably a long period of time to make his income, he owes WAY more in taxes to the American that doesn't work hard & long and doesn't even pay taxes?

ENTHUSIASTIC EAGLET AWARD

GOES TO BRUNSON STONE!!!



We are SUPER DUPER proud of Brunson! He was awarded his school's highest praise of Enthusiastic Eaglet. This award goes out to the student who accomplishes all their studies, are nice, share, follow all instructions and are all around great students!

Happy Halloween

From super heroes to Princesses, from Sandy to Witches we had them all! Ma-Maw and I decided to get the fun started a little early. So when we picked up the kids from school, we were dressed to scare in our witch hats, hair and ugly makeup (I'll never forget Ma-maw's blacked out teeth-ewww)! Hannah and Brunson laughed so hard and couldn't wait to get home and get themselves all dressed in their costumes! All the other kiddos got there around 5:30 and then the fun really got underway! We had lots of yummy warm food and drinks, there was something for everyone...Oyster stew, a shrimp stew over rice, hot dogs...it was all so good! This year we had six kids for the hay ride and that saying...more is better is so true! We had the 4-wheeler with trailer and a golf cart! Everyone came back to the house for more food and hot chocolate or coffee! It was so nice to have family and friends gathered around and just hang out! The kids had a blast! We were so happy Denise & Hayden (We miss you Scott) and Chrissy, Brad & Kyle join our usual Halloween crowd this year! Can't wait to do it all over again next year! Thanks to Mama and Cathy for handing out candy and all you did!

FANCY NANCY

DRESS UP IN WONDERFUL WORDS!


Hannah's school is studying about Fancy Nancy books written by Jane O'Connor. These books teach children about using fancy words instead of normal hum-drum everyday words. Hannah chose ACCESSORIES as her word, and her assignment was to create a costume to portray the word and it's meaning. I think she really got into her assignment and looks fabulous! She is going to be so cute in her school parade!!!

WAY TO GO HANNAH!!!

We are so proud of Hannah in everything she does. Today's news is her first nine weeks report card for second grade, drum roll please.....all E's for her. Ok so for those of you without little ones in elementary school, an E equals an A!!! Hannah loves school and it really shows in her grades!

THE OYSTER ROAST

FOR MAMA'S BIRTHDAY!!!







Happy Birthday to the best Mama ever!!! We celebrated a few days early with an Oyster Roast. Mama got lots of goodies...but I have to say I gave her the best! She got her Pawleys Island Hammock and a homeade (grandma style) pound cake!!! I hope your birthday was special Mama, we love you very much!!!
Enjoy the pictures from Hannah & Brunson's view point, I have really gotten bad about taking pictures. It's great they love to take pictures!!!

The State Fair

On My Day Off From Being A Carnie





We had a great afternoon seeing, hearing and smelling all the fun things at the state fair. The kids had so much fun, but I think us adults had just as much fun watching them be so excited over everything. All the animals, shows, rides and food was enough to excite scrooge! I am so glad I got one night off to enjoy in all the fun.



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